


Ghosts From The Past

by segerge



Series: TASK FORCE [28]
Category: HERO Champions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 08:59:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6045676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/segerge/pseuds/segerge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(June 1994) On the eve of entertaining recently-revived WW2 superhero Union Jack and the survivors of the raid on Der Riese ('Greatest Generation'), Baron Nihil returns to Earth's dimension to seek his revenge on Starforce.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghosts From The Past

**Author's Note:**

> **warnings** : language, extradimensional Nazis
> 
> * * *
> 
> #### DRAMATIS PERSONAE
> 
> **heroes**
> 
>   * Julie Dormyer Hawkins (AKA Ladyhawk), Chairman of the Board of Directors for ProStar, disgustingly-powerful ninja with latent powers of temporal visualization
>   * Dr. Bob Hawkins (AKA Starforce), Senior Research Scientist for ProStar, disgustingly-powerful power-armor wearer/gadgeteer
>   * BGEN Ted Jameson (AKA Ranger), director of PRIMUS, retired superhero
>   * Roger Stephens (AKA Union Jack), expy of Captain America, product of the UK's WW2-era Super Soldier Programme
>   * Dr. Michael Renton (AKA Amazing Man), retired gadgeteer and WW2 veteran
> 

> 
> **villains**
> 
>   * Holo-D, holographic AI interface to the late Doctor Destroyer's technical database
>   * Baron Nihil, leader of the pocket dimension of Saguenay, pan-dimensional Nazi refugee from World War II
>   * Wulf, Storm Knight (Gewittegard) of Saguenay
>   * Breog, Storm Knight (Gewittegard) of Saguenay
>   * Daros, Storm Knight (Gewittegard) of Saguenay
>   * Damos, Storm Knight (Gewittegard) of Saguenay
>   * Matil, Storm Knight (Gewittegard) of Saguenay
> 

> 
> **other**
> 
>   * Nathan Hawkins, son of Bob and Julie
>   * Shina Arikawa, butler/chauffer/bodyguard for Julie (her 'Alfred')
>   * James Harmon IV, college student
>   * Annamarie Selzer, reporter for Headline News
>   * Sir Merle Campion (AKA Merlin), Deputy Minister for Superhuman Affairs and ancient protector of Britain.
>   * James Harmon III, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Harmon Industries, WW2 veteran
>   * Ellen Macklin, squad leader for PRIMUS assigned to the DFW office
>   * Peter Mackenzie, Director of North American Operations for UNTIL
> 

> 
> **AUTHOR'S NOTE 1** : Internal monologue is denoted by [[ ]], telepathy by (( ))
> 
>  **AUTHOR'S NOTE 2** : Some familiarity with the climax of 'Greatest Generation' is helpful but not necessary to understand this story
> 
> * * *

(Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II, Lakewood Village, TX. Late evening)

(Bob 'Starforce' Hawkins and Holo-D are in Nathan's nursery. Bob is rocking Nathan to sleep, Holo-D is on the dresser)

 **Starforce** (gentle voice, to Holo-D): "But you're talking a delta-vee of over 20 kilometers per second between the Main Belt and Earth. The increase in kinetic energy *had* to come from somewhere."

 **Holo-D** (gentle voice): "Before I answer that, calculate the change in gravitational potential energy between an orbit of semimajor axis 2.8 AU and Earth Orbit. Assume an asteroid mass of 10 million tons."

(Bob goes into Lightning Calculator mode for a second)

 **Starforce** : "Okay, that's where he made up the kinetic energy differential. But how was he able to transform it so uniformly? You can't just wave a wand and magically transform potential energy into kinetic energy."

 **Holo-D** : "A ball rolling down an inclined plane in Earth gravity does exactly that. Without the intervention of a..." (Holo-D makes scare quotes with his hands) "...'magic wand'."

 **Starforce** : "So... Destroyer was manipulating space-time within the wormhole to harness the target asteroid's potential energy?"

 **Holo-D** (gentle voice, yet triumphantly): "Yes, exactly!"

(there is a gentle throat-clearing from the door. Bob and Holo-D both look over, and see Julie 'Ladyhawk' Hawkins in the doorway to Nathan's room)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Bob, smiling): "My big, hunky, geeky turn-on."

 **Holo-D** : "Are you sure you want to be saying that to me with your husband present?"

(Bob shakes his head as he slowly gets up with Baby Nathan)

(Julie rolls her eyes as she walks over to Bob. She hugs him, kisses him, then kisses Nathan on his head)

 **Starforce** : "I've got him, Ninjette. Gimme a moment..."

(he slowly lowers Nathan into his crib. He stirs a bit, but otherwise remains peacefully asleep. Bob quietly follows Julie to the door)

 **Holo-D** (singing softly): "Wenig Häschen Foo Foo - Hopping durch den Wald, finden alle Feldmäuse und Zerkleinern in den Kopf..."

 **Ladyhawk** (whispered): "Oh, how cute..."

 **Starforce** (murmured): "You'll reconsider that after I translate it for you."

 **Holo-D** (whispering while holding an index finger up to where his mouth should be on his helmet): "He's. Asleep."

(Bob and Julie leave and head down the stairs)

 **Ladyhawk** : "It just occurred to me. We're using what is probably the most advanced artificial intelligence on the planet -- created by the most notorious supervillain in history, I might add -- as a baby monitor."

(awkward pause while they reach the bottom of the stairs)

 **Starforce** : "Your point?"

(Julie's stomach growls before she can snark back at Bob. She makes a rueful face, instead)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Mealtime *again*?"

 **Starforce** : "The new baby's *ravenous*!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "And I'm not even out of the first trimester yet!"

(they alter course from the Great Room to the Kitchen)

 **Starforce** : "You're not upset that we're pregnant again?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "What do you mean 'we,' kemosabe?"

(they chuckle together)

 **Ladyhawk** (continuing): "I know we both wanted children, Nerd-boy. I just wasn't expecting to have them so quickly!"

(they are now in the kitchen, joined by Merlyn who has heard the burst of activity from there. Julie makes a beeline for the refrigerator and opens it)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Now, what can I have Nerd-boy reheat for me?"

(Merlyn balances on his hind paws, rests a front paw on the drawer where Shina keeps the deli meat, and chirps at Julie)

 **Shina** (from behind them both): "Julie-san? Master Robert? That's *my* job."

 **Starforce** (liberating two peach Snapples from the fridge): "I'm good." (points to Julie) "New baby needs to eat again."

 **Shina** (to Julie): "Toasted ham with provolone and green peppers?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Don't forget the onions!"

 **Shina** : "I will have it for you in five minutes, Julie-san." (waves her hands) "Shoo!"

(Julie giggles as Bob salutes and guides her through the Breakfast Nook back toward the Great Room. Merlyn stays behind to supervise Shina)

 **Starforce** (handing Julie a Snapple): "Here you go."

 **Ladyhawk** (grabbing the remote and aiming at the screen): "Thank you. Let's see what's on."

(the TV turns on as she curls up next to Bob)

 **Ladyhawk** (flipping through the channels): "Commercial... commercial... shopping channel... baseball... commercial... SportsCenter... commercial... beg-a-thon..."

 **Starforce** : "I have trained you well, Grasshopper."

 **Ladyhawk** (smiling): "Stop it. Wait, WHAT was that?"

(she skips back to Headline News, having just overshot it. There is a graphic behind the announcer of the WW2 superhero Union Jack)

 **Announcer** : "...soldier of the Second World War. His fate has been one of World War Two's greatest unsolved mysteries -- until today. Annamarie Selzer has more from St. Gallen, Switzerland."

(archival footage of aerial duels and pilots bailing out)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "September 6th, 1944. The superhero Union Jack shoves two American servicemen out the door of the experimental airplane they are using to escape Nazi Germany as they are attacked by Nazi jet fighters, then vanishes into the mists of legend."

(footage of an Alpine glacier)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "Those mists lifted yesterday for a group of American tourists hiking the Alps on the Swiss-Austrian border."

(interview with a tourist identified as James Harmon IV)

 **James** : "I saw a reflection of what appeared to be metallic debris above the trail we were hiking. When we investigated, we saw what appeared to be the remains of an advanced aircraft with swastikas on it, with what looked to be a human body entombed in ice at the controls."

(Ms. Selzer is now speaking to the camera)

 **Selzer** : "The hikers immediately called the site in. What the authorities found when they reached the face of the glacier some 11,000 feet above sea level astounded everyone."

(taped interview with one of the rescuers)

 **Rescuer** : "When we reached the crash site, we discovered the body entombed in the remaining ice block to be that of the World War 2 superhero Union Jack. We called it in with what data we had and secured the site."

 **Selzer** : "You didn't attempt to extract Union Jack yourself at that time?"

 **Rescuer** : "We thought it best that United Kingdom authorities either assist with our recovery efforts or authorize further action on our part before we proceeded."

(back to Ms. Selzer)

 **Selzer** : "The size of the UK's recovery effort today has been astounding, but what is even more incredible is the curtain of secrecy which UK authorities abruptly dropped over their mission here in mid-morning. No further reports or explanations have been forthcoming since the news embargo was put in place, but I can report that the mix of personnel being helicoptered to the site changed at that time from Ministry of Defence analysts and engineers to medical and Ministry of Superhuman Affairs personnel. For now, all we can do is watch and wait. Annamarie Selzer, Headline News, St. Gallen, Switzerland."

(Julie mutes the TV)

 **Starforce** : "Wow. They found his crash site!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Why would they switch from engineers to medical people in mid-recovery?"

 **Starforce** : "And why would they embargo all news reports from there?"

(they look at each other for a moment)

 **Ladyhawk** : "I'll call Ted tomorrow. He and the Superhuman Affairs Ministry are pretty good about sharing data. Perhaps they've told him something that he can share with us."

 **Starforce** : "Works for me. It's not like we *weren't* involved with his final flight, after all."

* * *

(Ruins of Der Riese, Mölke subcomplex. 1/2-mile north of Ludwikowice Kłodzkie, Poland [formerly Ludwigsdorf]. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(the skeletons of three platoons of soldiers in the tattered, burnt rags of SS uniforms are mixed with the shattered remains of three crude mecha around the perimeter of the underground room that had once served as the home hangar for Die Glocke in World War 2. The room itself is partially collapsed, mute testimony to the energies released by Die Glocke's destruction at Starforce's hands half a century previously.)

(a bluish-pink swirl of energy slowly forms over the the ugly, glazed scorch mark where Die Glocke had once stood. It holds at an intermediate size and intensity for a moment, then grows in brilliance and size before stabilizing again at a much more sizable diameter and power. Five Aryan-looking humans in what appears to be modern-looking medieval plate mail, four male and one female, step through and assume guard positions in front of the energy swirl)

(beat, then a tall, humanoid-looking swirl of blue and purple lightning wearing a Nazi SS uniform steps through the swirl, which then immediately spins down and collapses)

 **Humanoid** (weird, distorted voice): "So, Herr Starforce, you thought you could kill me within Die Glocke? Think again, mein herr!"

(he opens his mouth, and sickly purplish energies erupt from it over the collapsed block of concrete blocking off Die Glockegewölbe from Haupttunnel Mölke. The reinforced concrete falls into a pile of dust and powder on the floor, revealing the subcomplex's main tunnel)

 **Humanoid** (motioning): "Forward, my Gewittegarden! Herr Starforce has an appointment with Baron Nihil, and I do not intend for him to miss it!!"

* * *

(Julie's office, ProStar, Plano, TX. The next day)

(chopsticks are sticking out of Julie's half-completed Szechuan Beef as she drums her fingers on her desk. Bob continues to shovel his General Tso's into his mouth while listening to the hold music coming out of the phone)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Man, the music's boring..."

 **Starforce** (incredulous): "It's the second movement to Dvorak's New World Symphony! How could you say that?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Easily."

(the music abruptly stops in mid-phrase before Bob can fire a rejoinder back)

 **Ranger** (over phone): "Jameson."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Hi, Ted! It's your favorite children from Texas!"

 **Ranger** : "And I wonder why you might be calling."

(Bob and Julie can almost see the smile in Ted's voice all the way from Washington DC to Dallas)

 **Starforce** (around a mouthful of General Tso's): "Until we saw the news last night, it was going to be over the choice of your hold music."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Stop it, Nerd-boy!"

(they all laugh)

 **Ranger** (over phone): "Bob, what's the phrase you use when you condense a lot of information in a small amount of time?"

 **Starforce** : "Reader's Digest Condensed Version."

 **Ranger** : "Ah, that was it." (beat) "Reader's Digest Condensed Version of the answer you want from me, Her Majesty's Ministry of Superhuman Affairs got the scare of their life yesterday morning in Switzerland."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Concerning Union Jack?"

 **Ranger** : "Yes."

(tense pause)

 **Starforce** : "Does this have something to do with the veil of secrecy they threw around the recovery effort yesterday?"

 **Ranger** (beat): "That veil of secrecy got deployed because the recovery effort unexpectedly became a *rescue* effort at that time."

(Julie's jaw drops open in shock. She's recognized the significance of the word change from 'recovery' to 'rescue')

 **Starforce** (confused): "I don't understand..."

 **Ladyhawk** (interrupting): "Was Union Jack ALIVE?"

 **Ranger** : "Yes. The glacier, combined with whatever the UK's Super Soldier Programme did to him, put him into suspended animation when he crashed in 1944."

 **Starforce** (stunned): "Good God!"

 **Ranger** : "When they freed his body from the ice, he started to revive." (beat) "Sir Merle's description of the recovery team's reactions was... unusually graphic."

 **Ladyhawk** (wide-eyed): "I have no doubt of that."

 **Starforce** : "So what happens with him, now?"

 **Ranger** : "The flippant answer would be, 'none of our business.'"

 **Ladyhawk** : "But we were some of the last people he saw before he crashed!"

 **Ranger** : "All I can say is that the Ministry of Superhuman Affairs -- in all of its incarnations throughout British history -- has protocols established for cases such as this." (beat) "Look, I'd like to talk with him too, guys! I know *exactly* how you feel."

 **Ladyhawk** : "How long will the Ministry take with their protocols?"

 **Ranger** : "At least a week if there are no complications."

 **Starforce** : "If he really has been in suspended animation for half a century, the culture shock alone may be too much for him to handle."

 **Ranger** : "Hence the Ministry's caution in re-acclimating him to the modern world."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Well, keep us posted on him! We'd love to either see him or have him over for a barbecue or something."

 **Ranger** : "I'll let you know when the Ministry's ready to turn him loose." (a beeping can be heard from Ted's end of the phone call) "Gotta go, I have a briefing at 1300 local."

 **Starforce** : "Have fun."

 **Ranger** (laughing): "Sadist."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Bye!"

(call disconnects. Bob and Julie look at each other)

 **Starforce** : "Dang. It's like this is from a bad comic book or something..."

 **Ladyhawk** (giggling): "Shut up and eat your lunch, Nerd-boy!"

* * *

(PRIMUS HQ, Washington DC. One minute later)

(Ted is receiving a flash intel briefing by a headquarters staff officer)

 **Staffer** (pointing toward the slide): "The GRIDIRON satellite was started by your predecessor at PRIMUS, working jointly with the National Reconnaissance Office. Using a spare chassis from the LACROSSE program, it was designed to detect and image exotic energy signatures such as those used by typical superhuman threats to national security..."

 **Ranger** : "My former company built the sensor suite for it. Less buzzwords and more point."

 **Staffer** (beat): "Yes, sir." (slide changes) "During the last Shuttle servicing mission in October 1992..." [STS-52 in our timeline, commanded by LTC Colleen 'Victory' Dewey and with Kristen 'Photon' Griswold as a Mission Specialist], "...GRIDIRON was outfitted with a theta-boson sensor. Since last night, we have been receiving persistent hits from it for a theta-boson source in Central Europe."

 **Ranger** : "Do we know where, specifically?"

 **Staffer** : "Southwestern Poland, just northeast of the village of Ludwikowice Kłodzkie. The source is consistent with the ruins of a known high-technology laboratory complex the Nazis ran during World War II."

 **Ranger** (eyes wide): "Der Riese?"

 **Staffer** : "We thought that would get your attention, sir."

 **Ranger** : "Could it be test-flights of Die Glocke from 1944?"

 **Staffer** : "Our staff have gone through both Starforce's after-action report from 1986 and the notes handed him before then by the supervillainess Lady Blue. The radiation source is *not* consistent with the known test history of Die Glocke."

 **Ranger** : "That's a relief. I think."

(tense pause)

 **Ranger** (continuing): "Have you communicated your findings with UNTIL? Poland is somewhat out of our jurisdiction..."

 **Staffer** : "We wouldn't know who to contact. I suppose we could reach out to their Operation SHIVA unit."

 **Ranger** : "Too much of a reach, and they're too busy persecuting Dr. Hawkins and his family anyway instead of doing the job they're supposed to be doing." (beat) "Let me place some calls. UNTIL's European Directorate is probably going to have to take point from here on in. Dismissed."

(the staffer salutes and leaves. Ted grabs a phone and punches in a number from memory)

 **Ranger** : "Yes, Director-General Eckhardt please." (beat) "General Jameson, Director of PRIMUS."

* * *

(Ruins of Der Riese, Mölke subcomplex. That evening)

(the table in front of Baron Nihil is full of books. Another, larger mound of torn and destroyed books has grown behind his chair. His Gewittegarden await his further command in front of the table)

(Nihil paws frantically through the book he currently has open, growing more angry with each page turned until. Finally, with a scream of rage he rips it in two and throws the remains behind him)

 **Nihil** (sweeping the rest of the books off of the table): "POLISH! WHAT SELF-RESPECTING GERMAN TOWN DARES FILL ITS LIBRARY WITH BOOKS WRITTEN IN POLISH?!?"

(Wulf, one of his Gewittegarden, steps forward)

 **Wulf** : "My liege, it appeared to be the language most in use by the books we returned from Ludwigsdorf's library..."

 **Nihil** (bellowing): "SILENCE, WULF!!"

 **Wulf** (kneeling): "Apologies, my liege."

(the oldest Gewittegarden now steps forward)

 **Breog** : "My lord, we *were* able to recover three books which appear to be in a different language."

 **Nihil** : "Show them to me, Breog!"

 **Breog** : "At once, oh Lord." (to twin younger Gewittegarden behind him, pointing to the pile just swept off the table) "Daros, Damos? Humor your old drillmaster. You know the books in question."

 **Daros** : "Gladly."

 **Damos** : "At once."

(after a couple of seconds work with the piles of books by the table, the twins find all three and present them to Nihil)

 **Nihil** (looking at the covers): "Auf Englisch. Better, but why no German?"

 **Breog** (placing the books on the table): "The largest of the three appears to be some sort of atlas of your native world, my lord..."

 **Nihil** (looking at one of the smaller books): "Shirer, Shirer... Ah, an Amerikanischer news reporter in Berlin at the beginning of the war."

(he now focuses on the title of the book at which he's looking)

 **Nihil** (breathing): " _The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich_?" (beat, in disbelief) "Mein Führer's glorious Thousand-Year Reich FELL?!?"

(tense pause)

 **Nihil** (agonized): "What has happened to my homeworld that Germany is dead, Poland owns Der Riese, and English can be used as a language in the heartland of Europe?"

(the lone female Gewittegard subly clears her throat)

 **Matil** : "Perhaps reading the atlas could shed some light on how that happened and who we need to fight..."

 **Nihil** (interrupting): "Save it for now. We will use it to begin planning the restoration of the Reich to my homeworld." (beat) "What of the third book?"

 **Breog** (showing it to Nihil): "I am not sure what to make of it."

(The cover has TASK FORCE's official photo from after 'Greatest Generation', with Starforce doing bunny-ears behind Ladyhawk)

 **Nihil** (reading the cover in awe): "TASK FORCE, A History. As told to Aaron George Long by Ranger, Ladyhawk, and..." (voice purring with anticipation) "...Starforce!"

 **Breog** : "My lord?"

 **Nihil** (smiling): "A princely gift, Eldest of Storm Knights!" (cackling) "How better to prepare for your enemy than by studying what he has to say about himself?"

* * *

(underneath Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II. Two nights later)

(Bob and Holo-D are in an artificially-excavated cavern underneath the Manor)

 **Holo-D** : "Gee, I don't know. Some paneling, a mirror or two, maybe some throw rugs..."

 **Starforce** : "Like my late father would have known anything about interior decoration."

 **Holo-D** : "The real answer would surprise you."

 **Starforce** (beat): "I'll pass."

 **Holo-D** : "So why did you drag me down here to your man cave again?" (beat, looks around) "Unfurnished as it is even by your standards?"

 **Starforce** (kneeling to set the database casing on the ground): "Trying out a new blueprint."

 **Holo-D** (alarmed): "Oh, NO you don't..."

 **Starforce** (standing and walking away): "Access plan 199406, revision 3."

(Holo-D vanishes as the emitter on the technical database reconfigures itself. The cave is now filled with glowing, holographic walls)

 **Holo-D** (voice only): "I HATE it when you do that."

 **Starforce** : "Suck it up. You could be upstairs competing with Merlyn for Nathan's attention."

 **Holo-D** (grumbling, voice only): "Right now, I think I'd prefer being pounced upon by the cat."

 **Starforce** (slowly walking through the hologram): "Which, once I complete the fabbers for upgrading all those used SGI H-series motherboards I've been buying surplus and *deploy* said motherboards throughout the manor to drive holographic projectors, you'll have more time to complain about."

 **Holo-D** (voice only): "What about the new Destreum fabbers you've been designing? You'll need those to put real walls down here, you know."

 **Starforce** : "I am painfully aware of that. My resources have been limited since you've arrived."

 **Holo-D** (voice only): "Because the manor needed to be rebuilt, or because UNTIL has been watching you like a hawk?"

 **Starforce** : "Yes." (beat waves his arms around) "Also, I lack the tools to build the tools I will need to even *get* to this point."

(as he says this, he steps through the holographic representation of an airlock into the planned room for the center of the cave. Two pillars on a raised dais occupy its center, curving towards each other but not quite touching at the apex)

 **Holo-D** (voice only): "Oh, DON'T get me started on the prerequisites you'll need to complete *this*. WHAT were you thinking?"

 **Starforce** : "That I'd like a way to leave the manor without UNTIL knowing about it?"

 **Holo-D** (voice only): "Would that have anything to do with those new battlesuit fabbers you've also been designing that I'm not supposed to know about?"

 **Starforce** : "Haven't decided yet." (looking around) "See any problems with the layout that I missed? Ventilation, power runs, networking..."

 **Holo-D** (voice only): "Sadly, no." (beat) "You even remembered the plumbing runs that you forgot to add on the last revision. That would have made using the full bath you're planning for down here VERY interesting..."

 **Starforce** (interrupting): "That will be *quite* enough, thank you. Close file."

(the emitter flashes, the holographic blueprint vanishes, and Holo-D's image reappears next to the database casing)

 **Holo-D** (as Bob picks the casing up): "Can we go back upstairs, now?"

 **Starforce** (walking to the elevator): "Stop whining."

(they enter the elevator. A moment later, the trophy case in the library slides to one side at the elevator's top)

 **Starforce** (putting Holo-D down on a table): "Here you go. Thank you."

 **Holo-D** : "Hey! Don't leave me..."

 **Starforce** (leaving the library): "Good night, Holo-D."

(he finds the rest of the family between the Breakfast Nook and the Great Room. Nathan is on his back wrestling with a stuffed animal while Merlyn guards him at the other end of the play mat. Julie is in the middle of a stretching routine)

 **Starforce** (kissing Julie): "Hey, Ninjette."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Done fantasizing about the Man Cave for tonight, Nerd-boy?"

 **Starforce** (beat, smiling): "Oh, Earth humor. Ar-ar-ar..."

(the phone ringing beats Julie's counter-snark. Shina glides past them with only the slightest of aside glances before beating Bob to the phone)

 **Shina** (into phone): "Dormyer Manor. How may I help you?" (long pause) "Both Julie-san and Master Robert are here. Do you have a preference?" (beat) "Master Robert won't like you saying that, Master Theodore."

 **Starforce** : "Hey! At least let me defend myself..."

 **Shina** (to Bob): "Hush." (to phone) "Here she is."

 **Ladyhawk** (taking the phone from Shina): "Ted?"

(Shina nods and glides off)

 **Ladyhawk** (into phone): "Hey, Ted! What's up?"

(she stands up and moves into the Great Room to continue her phone conversation. Bob lays down next to the play mat and starts entertaining Nathan with another stuffed animal while that happens)

(a moment later, Julie walks back to the play mat, done with the phone conversation)

 **Starforce** : "What was that about?"

(beat, then Julie smiles)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Guess who we'll be entertaining in another two days?"

 **Starforce** : "Uh, I dunno. Harry Connick, Jr.?"

 **Ladyhawk** (hitting him gently as she kneels next to him and Nathan): "Stop it!"

 **Starforce** : "Do I get another guess?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "Union Jack!"

(amazed pause)

 **Starforce** : "You're kidding!"

 **Ladyhawk** : "The Ministry of Superhuman Affairs feels that Union Jack's assimilation into the modern world would be assisted by meeting with some of the people he was last with in 1944." (beat) "Tag, we're it!"

 **Starforce** : "Okay, then! That would be us, Ted, James Harmon..." (shocked pause) "...and AMAZING MAN? Oh, my God..."

 **Ladyhawk** (shaking her head): "And, we've just lost focus."

* * *

(between Rzeczka and Walim, Poland. Dawn, the next day)

(metallic dust is all that remains of the Polish tank company which had attempted to advance down the road toward Rzeczka and points south. The UNTIL command APC which Baron Nihil is currently standing in front of has fared far better than the rest of the combined Polish-UNTIL force in that it is still mostly intact)

(Breog walks briskly up to Nihil and salutes)

 **Breog** : "Heil von Nihil!"

 **Nihil** (returning salute): "Report."

 **Breog** : "Perimeter is secure. The troops show excellent discipline for coming through the Storm Rift to your homeworld on such short notice."

 **Nihil** : "They are a credit to their drillmaster, Eldest of Storm Knights!" (beat, sweeping his hands over the surrounding mountains) "Can we expect any more opposition?"

 **Breog** : "If this is the best your homeworld can throw at us, my Lord, we have nothing to fear."

 **Nihil** : "Excellent! Carry on."

 **Breog** (saluting): "My Lord!"

(Nihil enters the APC. Daros and Damos are vigorously using the computer equipment while Wulf stands guard and Matil supervises)

 **Matil** (to Nihil): "We continue to use your enemy's own equipment to gather intelligence on Starforce, his associates, daily schedule, and current whereabouts."

 **Nihil** : "And?"

 **Matil** : "The American's own TV networks have been MOST helpful in determining where Starforce can be found." (walking over to a VCR/monitor combination) "We intercepted this transmission not 15 minutes ago."

(Matil presses PLAY on a cued-up VCR. The monitor above it comes to life)

 **Anchor** : "Union Jack, the famous World War II superhero recently revived from half a century of suspended animation, is on his way to America today to meet with the survivors of his last mission. Annamarie Selzer has more from Lakewood Village, Texas."

(cut to Annamarie Selzer standing on a secluded and shaded country lane. Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II can sort of be seen in the background)

 **Selzer** : "Lakewood Village, Texas, a secluded village located 20 miles north of Dallas on the banks of Lake Lewisville. And starting tomorrow, the site of a reunion half a century in the making."

(video of the press conference at the Ministry of Superhuman Affairs the previous day)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "Sir Merle Campion, deputy Minister for Superhuman Affairs, shocked the world yesterday by announcing that Union Jack will be flying to America tomorrow to meet with the people who participated in his last mission during the war in September 1944."

(tape of Sir Merle at the press conference)

 **Merlin** : "He has expressed great interest in meeting the survivors of his last mission. After consultation with Ministry psychiatrists, I see no reason why we should not grant his request."

(cut to a shot of Annamarie talking to the camera)

 **Selzer** : "The survivors of his ill-fated last mission include the two Army Air Force personnel who accompanied him into the heart of Nazi Germany, and the three survivors of the 1980's superhero team which had been stranded in World War II by Doctor Destroyer. They are..."

(a picture of a dignified-looking gentleman is displayed)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "American industrial magnate James Harmon III, then an Army Air Force major stationed at RAF Woodbridge in England..."

(a file photo of the superhero Amazing Man from the late 1960's is displayed)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "The retired superhero Amazing Man, then just electronics technician Michael Renton..."

(the photo for Ted's official military bio is displayed)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "Ted Jameson, then leader of the Dallas-Fort Worth superhero team TASK FORCE, now Director of PRIMUS..."

(a shot of Julie standing in front of her desk at ProStar is displayed)

 **Selzer** (voice over): "Julie Dormyer Hawkins, then the superheroine Ladyhawk and now Chairman of the Board of Directors for ProStar Industries of Dallas..."

(a still photo of Bob stunning the assembled media after his Federal trial was dismissed last year is displayed)

 **Selzer** (voice over): ...."and her husband, Robert Hawkins. Then the superhero Starforce, now more infamously known these days as the son of Doctor Destroyer."

(cut to a shot of Annamarie talking to the camera)

 **Selzer** : "Superhuman analysts world-wide expressed dismay at the Ministry's plans, concerned about the imagery of Union Jack meeting with the son of Doctor Destroyer, who was raised in Nazi culture during the build-up to World War II. PRIMUS Director Ted Jameson had this to say at a press conference following the Ministry's announcement." 

(cut to a taped news conference at PRIMUS HQ)

 **Reporter** : "General Jameson, don't you think it's inappropriate for one of the greatest heroes of World War II to be meeting the son of a Nazi mad scientist?"

 **Ranger** : "That's a decision that needs to be made by Union Jack and the Ministry of Superhuman Affairs. Not me."

 **Nihil** (muting the monitor): "What is it with this Doctor Destroyer that the untermenschen reporters keep mentioning?"

 **Matil** : "It was the codename used by a Dr. Albert Zerstoiten when he became a supervillain approximately 20 years ago."

 **Nihil** : "Albert Zerstoiten..." (beat, then barks out a harsh laugh) "The doll-maker's son? A supervillain?!?"

 **Matil** : "You knew him?"

 **Nihil** (chuckling): "A child prodigy who was forced upon me by Berlin back when I lived on this world. I could tolerate his childish tantrums and narcissism because his intellect was matchless compared to everyone else assigned to me." (beat) "Was he any good as a supervillain?"

 **Daros** (turning around from his computer terminal): "He actually succeeded in conquering the world for three months about ten years ago."

 **Nihil** : "Only three months?"

 **Damos** (turning around from his computer terminal): "His son shot his mind-control satellites out of the sky with rockets built from parts available in a hardware store and assembled in a barn."

 **Nihil** (contemptuously): "That cretin von Braun had *so* much trouble attempting to hit London with the industrial resources of the Reich at his beck and call, and yet Starforce can hit a satellite with inferior Amerikanischer technology?"

 **Wulf** : "Von Braun? I've seen that name on this world's media! He's the German who put 12 Americans on the surface of the Moon?"

 **Nihil** (CON-stunning Wulf with a Nihil-blast): "SILENCE, you fool!!"

 **Wulf** (recovering): "My apologies, oh Lord..."

 **Nihil** : "You shouldn't believe everything you see on television. You are from Saguenay, not America!"

(Wulf continues to cower on the floor of the APC, making no effort to get up)

 **Nihil** : "Anyone who believes that Americans are capable of the same feats as our glorious Master Race deserves the same fate AS an American! A bullet to the head."

(tense pause)

 **Nihil** (turning to leave the APC): "Find out when Union Jack lands in Dallas. And get his itinerary, so I can plan an appropriate reception for both him and Starforce." (beat) "The gods ARE showing me their favor to put my oldest and newest foe together at the same time!"

* * *

(PRIMUS HQ, Washington DC. Late that afternoon)

(a staff officer enters Ted's office)

 **Ranger** : "Make it quick, I have a plane to catch at Andrews."

 **Staffer** : "Yes, sir. NRO has been monitoring the situation in southwestern Poland after we detected the theta-boson source there."

 **Ranger** : "And?"

 **Staffer** : "UNTIL and the Polish Defense Ministry both lost contact with the combined force last night after it had reported contact with an unspecified opposing force. The radios came back on the air this morning, but using frequencies and codes which have not been used since Nazi Germany was defeated."

 **Ranger** (beat): "Disturbing, but a problem more for NATO than PRIMUS."

 **Staffer** : "There's more, sir. CYBERINT teams have monitored a significant increase in both database and bulletin board traffic asking about or retrieving information concerning the former superhero 'Starforce'. The traffic appears to be originating either from access points in southwestern Poland or equipment which was with the UNTIL forces that vanished."

(tense pause)

 **Ranger** : "Any idea who is making these requests, or why?"

 **Staffer** : "None yet, sir."

 **Ranger** : "Right." (beat) "Assign an Intel team to work with the NRO, I want them either co-located with them or on a continuous conference call with them an hour ago. Contact PRIMUS Houston, have them send a squad to report to PRIMUS DFW as reinforcements. Flash traffic to PRIMUS DFW, go to Threatcon BRAVO for an as-yet-unspecified threat against Dr. Hawkins."

 **Staffer** : "Got them, sir." (beat) "Make sure you take one of the new cell phones with you so we can reach you with more specific updates."

 **Ranger** : "Still getting used to having my own _Star Trek_ communicator." (beat) "When am I supposed to be wheels-up?"

 **Staffer** : "Thirty-five, sir."

 **Ranger** : "Good, I have enough time for one phone call. Have the staff car ready in five, dismissed."

 **Staffer** (leaving): "Yes, sir."

 **Ranger** (picking up handset and punching a preset, muttering to himself): "What does it say about our lives that I have to have presets for both Julie's home and office on my phone?"

* * *

(Julie's office, ProStar, Plano TX. The next day)

(Julie ushers a party consisting of James Harmon III, Union Jack, Dr. Renton, and Ted into her office)

 **Harmon** : "What was the thing with the sign in front of Dr. Hawkins' laboratory?"

 **Starforce** : "It's a tradition I started with a former co-worker when I was first hired by ProStar. Always have something funny or topical outside the front door."

 **Ladyhawk** (muttered): "Or trouble-inducing. Seriously, Nerd-boy, did you HAVE to put up the sign that said 'Check all espionage equipment at the door'?"

 **Amazing Man** : "Industrial espionage is a growing problem these days. Especially considering what's been happening with what used to be Soviet Central Asia."

 **Harmon** : "Well, *I* thought it was funny..."

 **Starforce** (to Julie): "So there. Nyaah!"

(Julie fixes Bob with a death glare worthy of their old Belligerent Sexual Tension days)

 **Ranger** (to Julie): "Unless ProStar's portfolio has changed radically since I was CEO, we... you don't compete head-to-head against Harmon Industries in that many markets."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Are you telling me to lighten up?"

 **Ranger** : "Yes."

 **Union Jack** (beat): "So, changing the subject, Leftenant Dormyer..."

(Julie gently clears her throat and holds her left hand up to show her ring)

 **Union Jack** (continuing): "I'm sorry. Mrs. Hawkins..."

 **Ladyhawk** : "That's all right. We're all still getting used to it these days."

 **Union Jack** : "When will you entertain for us?"

(uncomfortable pause among the surviving members of TASK FORCE)

 **Ladyhawk** (hesitant): "There's, uh... something you all need to know about the USO show we put on back in 1944."

 **Harmon** : "Which is..."

 **Ladyhawk** (beat): "I can't sing."

 **Amazing Man** : "Having run the sound board that night, I would beg to differ."

 **Ranger** : "Our team psionic gave Julie the musical abilities of another team member for that night only."

(awkward pause)

 **Harmon** : "Why?"

 **Ranger** (apologetically): "We needed access to Die Glocke to get back to our time."

 **Starforce** : "It was either that or forcibly mind-control the Base Commander..."

(a loud, warbling klaxon suddenly goes off within the ProStar Building)

 **Starforce** (in disbelief): "The LOCKDOWN alarm?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "That hasn't gone off in *two* *years*!"

 **Harmon** : "What's a lockdown alarm?"

 **Ranger** : "Something I had installed when I was CEO."

 **Starforce** (deadpan): "For some reason, ProStar was a weirdness magnet for this end of Granite Park back then."

 **Harmon** (looking out the windows): "Like the... thing... that just walked in front of this building?"

(that gets everyone's attention. They all crowd around the windows to look out)

 **Union Jack** : "You know, this may not be such a good idea..."

 **Starforce** : "Destreum-aluminum alloy. Stronger than steel, more transparent than glass. We're fine."

 **Ranger** (murmured, to Julie): "That can't have been cheap..."

 **Ladyhawk** (murmured): "We've only done the top floor so far."

 **Union Jack** : "If I can focus everyone's attention on our current perdicament?"

(he waves a hand at the group which has now claimed the space in front of the ProStar Building's main entrance, which appears to be composed of a swirling, glowing humanoid wearing a military uniform and five high-tech knights)

 **Union Jack** : "General, is this the allegedly non-specific threat to Dr. Hawkins which you mentioned this morning?"

 **Ranger** : "I'm going to go with, 'yes.'"

(the glowing humanoid spreads his arms as he looks at the ProStar Building)

 **Glowing Humanoid** : "ROBERT 'STARFORCE' HAWKINS! BARON NIHIL SUMMONS YOU!!"

(everyone looks at Bob, who silently mouths the worlds 'Baron Nihil' while looking confused)

 **Starforce** (shaking his head): "Never heard of him."

 **Nihil** : "I HAVE WAITED DECADES FOR THIS MOMENT, HERR HAWKINS, SINCE YOU BLEW DIE GLOCKE UP WITH ME STILL IN IT!!"

(Bob's jaw drops open in shock)

 **Starforce** (small voice): "Oh. I thought I killed him..."

 **Ladyhawk** (in shock): "That's the nutcase who ran Der Riese!"

 **Union Jack** (face hardening): "Ernst von Niehl. Returned from the dead."

 **Nihil** : "YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES TO FACE ME AND MY GEWITTEGARDEN, OR MY REVENGE STARTS WITH YOUR WORKPLACE. EVERY FIVE MINUTES YOU HIDE LIKE THE MONGREL AMERICAN UNTERMENSCHEN YOU ARE, ANOTHER BUILDING AND ITS OCCUPANTS DIES!!"

(Dr. Renton has been looking at Nihil with almost clinical interest during the confrontation)

 **Amazing Man** (absently): "He appears to be partly composed of theta-bosons. Fascinating..."

 **Ranger** : "We have been tracking an intermittent theta-boson source in the ruins of Der Riese for several days now..."

 **Amazing Man** (interrupting): "Not important now. Scratch that, *very* important now. Dr. Hawkins!"

 **Starforce** (jumping): "Sir!"

 **Amazing Man** : "Were those theta-boson detectors and generators I saw in your laboratory?"

 **Starforce** : "Over to the right, yes..."

 **Amazing Man** : "Ah, good. I have an idea on how to dispatch Colonel von Niehl from our plane of existence again. Can you lead me back there, please?"

 **Starforce** : "Yes, SIR!"

* * *

(Julie's office, ProStar. Five minutes later)

(Bob bursts back into Julie's office, slightly breathless)

 **Starforce** (cheerfully demented): "Sorry I'm late, guys!"

 **Ladyhawk** (by the windows): "Nerd-boy. Over here."

(Bob joins Julie by the window. She points outside, to the left of Baron Nihil's position in front of ProStar)

 **Ladyhawk** (deadpan): "Look who showed up to the party."

 **Starforce** (looking): "Whaddya know. Captain Rochemont and His Merry Men!" (beat, to Julie) "THAT was suspiciously quick."

 **Ranger** (setting up Julie's phone for a conference call and dialing): "Ya THINK?"

(the other side of the attempted connection starts ringing)

 **Voice** : "UNTIL North American Operations..."

 **Ranger** (a little TOO politely): "Yes, Angie, this is General Jameson of PRIMUS. I need to speak with Director Mackenzie."

 **Voice** : "I'm sorry, sir, but he's busy right..."

 **Ranger** (interrupting, bellowing): "NOW!!"

 **Voice** : "One moment, sir."

(hold music)

 **Starforce** (muttered): "PRIMUS has better hold music..."

 **Ladyhawk** (whispered to Bob): "Stop it!"

(the hold music abruptly terminates in mid-measure)

 **Mackenzie** : "Ted, this had better be important or about the situation in Dallas."

 **Ranger** : "Actually, it's both."

 **Mackenzie** (beat): "Explain."

 **Ranger** : "I'm one of the hostages in the ProStar Building right now!"

(awkward pause)

 **Mackenzie** (small voice): "Aw, shit..."

 **Ranger** : "Yeah." (beat) "I'm in the Chairman of the Board's office right now, looking outside at the decided *lack* of activity in UNTIL's position in front of the building. I for one would like to know what the HELL Captain Rochemont thinks he's doing."

 **Mackenzie** : "His orders concern Dr. Hawkins."

 **Ranger** : "Peter, I sent you an advisory on a threat to Dr. Hawkins, NOT a hunting license for Captain Rochemont!"

 **Mackenzie** : "For once, Rochemont's orders concerning Dr. Hawkins come from me."

 **Ranger** (beat, shocked): "Excuse me?"

 **Mackenzie** : "Albert Zerstoiten was in Colonel von Niehl's employ during the Second World War. UNTIL can't take the chance that Dr. Hawkins has orders from his late father concerning cooperation with von Niehl."

 **Starforce** (coldly): "If so, that would be news to me."

(VERY awkward pause)

 **Mackenzie** : "I wasn't aware that this was a conference call."

 **Starforce** : "You need to pay more attention to the audio quality of your connection, then."

 **Ranger** : "Can we get back on topic, here?"

 **Starforce** (angry): "We ARE on topic! The topic happens to be 'Why is UNTIL allied with Baron Nihil to try and kill me?'"

 **Mackenzie** : "We are NOT allied with Colonel von Niehl..."

 **Union Jack** : "Then what DO you call it when the Colonel and your agents share the same target, Director?"

 **Mackenzie** (beat): "Who is this?"

 **Union Jack** : "My name is Roger Stephens. Perhaps you have heard of me?"

(EXTREMELY awkward pause)

 **Union Jack** : "Imagine my surprise to be revived after half a century of suspended animation only to find the United Nations actively taking the side of a Nazi war criminal."

 **Starforce** (murmured, to Julie): "I'd kill for videoconferencing right now."

 **Ranger** (beat): "Director, you are losing what friends and allies you might have had today, in ADDITION to trying my patience. If you cannot -- or will not -- order Rochemont to stand down from his orders concerning Dr. Hawkins, I cannot be responsible for what happens to his command when we take Nihil down."

 **Mackenzie** : "He has his orders. So do I."

 **Ranger** (coldly): "It's been nice knowing you, Peter."

(Ted cuts the connection. Tense pause)

 **Starforce** : "Now what?"

(beat, then Ted dials another number from memory. The phone rings again)

 **Voice** : "PRIMUS DFW."

 **Ranger** : "This is General Jameson. Patch me through to your field lead."

 **Voice** : "One moment, sir."

(the call goes over to more hold music)

 **Ranger** (to Bob): "Any idea how Dr. Renton is doing down in your lab?"

 **Starforce** : "Given that he IS Amazing Man, he was probably done the moment I got back into this room."

 **Ranger** : "Remember your battlesuit?"

 **Starforce** : "Duh! It's in the lab, waiting for me." (beat) "You know Rochemont's not gonna like that..."

 **Ranger** : "Screw Rochemont. Suit up."

 **Starforce** (turning for the door): "Now *there's* a mental image that'll be with me for the rest of the day."

(as Bob leaves, the phone cuts back out of hold music to a stressed female voice)

 **Voice** : "Lieutenant Macklin."

 **Ranger** : "Lieutenant, this is General Jameson. What's your status?"

 **Macklin** : "Holding a perimeter between the ProStar Building and the lake, just north of Baron Nihil."

 **Ranger** : "Are you assuming UNTIL is holding the perimeter south of Nihil?"

 **Macklin** : "Yes, sir."

 **Ranger** : "I was afraid of that." (beat) "New orders, lieutenant. UNTIL are co-belligerents with Baron Nihil."

(shocked pause)

 **Macklin** : "We can't fight both Nihil and UNTIL, sir!"

 **Ranger** : "Relax, Lieutenant, I'm in the ProStar Building. If I can pull off what I'm planning, you won't have to."

* * *

(Lobby, ProStar Building. Five minutes later)

(Ted, Julie, Union Jack, and Mr. Harmon are in the Lobby as Dr. Renton and Starforce join them. Starforce is holding a jumpsuit of destreum nanoweave, and is towing what appears to be a gun on a tripod mount behind him with telekineses)

 **Amazing Man** (to Starforce): "Remember, you need to keep him motionless in the focus when I engage."

 **Starforce** (deferentially, setting the tripod mount down gently): "Yes, sir."

 **Ranger** (murmured, to Julie): "I've only heard him use that tone of voice around his stepfather!"

 **Ladyhawk** (deadpan, murmured): "Enjoy it while you can."

 **Ranger** (eyeing the tripod-mounted gun): "And this is..."

 **Amazing Man** : "A recall trigger. From prior experience with dimensional travel, Nihil is likely to have some form of recall device to enable him to return to whatever dimension he calls home now." (beat, pats the gun) "This device will find it and trigger it for us."

 **Ranger** : "Okay then."

 **Starforce** (handing the jumpsuit to Ted): "This armor blank I had down in the lab should fit you. It'll give you some protection if you're going to do what I *think* you're going to do."

 **Ranger** : "Which is..."

 **Starforce** (jerking a thumb toward the Lobby windows): "UNTIL is about to find itself short about a platoon's worth of blasters, which the lobby party will then use to take out the Knights Who Say 'Ni' guarding Nihil."

 **Union Jack** (confused): "I thought they were called Gewittegarden."

 **Ranger** (rolling his eyes while putting the jumpsuit on): "Bob?"

 **Starforce** : "I know. More focus and less Monty Python."

 **Ranger** : "Anything we need to know beforehand?"

 **Starforce** : "UNTIL's loadout looks suspiciously like the superheavy blasters VIPER developed and used against us about a decade ago. Same tactical usage should be just as effective against Nihil and company."

 **Ranger** : "Got it. And your job is..."

 **Starforce** : "Give Nihil what he wants, good and hard, so he doesn't notice what Dr. Renton is doing to him until it's too late."

 **Ladyhawk** (looking faintly disgusted): "Word choice, Nerd-boy."

 **Ranger** : "Okay, anyone who isn't Dr. Hawkins or Dr. Renton or myself, behind the reception kiosk."

 **Union Jack** : "Excuse me? I'm coming with you..."

 **Ranger** (interrupting): "Until I get you a weapon, this ISN'T your fight, Major!" (beat) "Behind the kiosk, soldier, that's an order!"

(Union Jack does as he is ordered, reluctantly)

 **Ladyhawk** (shocked and awed): "Did Ted just ORDER Union Jack?"

 **Harmon** : "Rank has its privileges."

 **Ranger** (to Starforce and Dr. Renton): "Ready?"

 **Starforce** : "Let's complete the mission, sir."

(Ted smiles)

 **Ranger** : "GO!"

* * *

(Front Entrance of the ProStar Building. One second later)

(Segment 2, DEX 30. Ranger wins the roll-off against Starforce. The sharp BOOOOM!! of Ranger crossing the speed of sound as he enters the Speed Zone is matched by the CRASSHH!! of all the glass in ProStar's Main Lobby shattering. He blurs and appears behind the Reception Kiosk, depositing eight UNTIL Superheavy Blasters [2d6 RKA Penetratingx2, 8m cone Area Effect, 8 charges] by everyone using the Kiosk as cover while the glass is still falling)

 **Ranger** (gasping for air): "Help yourselves."

(As Union Jack, Julie, and Ranger arm themselves, Starforce goes. Forcefield rippling, he flash-steps in front of Baron Nihil and hits with a 30d6 TK offensive strike for 1 BODY and 21 STUN after defenses. Nihil staggers backwards and lands on his butt 2 meters away)

 **Nihil** (laughing): "IS THAT THE BEST THAT YOU CAN DO, HERR STARFORCE?"

(DEX 29. Nihil wins the roll-off against Union Jack. His mouth opens, and sickly purplish energies engulf Starforce [10d6 Drain BODY Cone area of effect])

 **Ladyhawk** : "STARFORCE!!"

(the cone of annihilation energy fades. Starforce is unhurt and hovering over Nihil, arms folded and most *definitely* unimpressed)

 **Starforce** : "Next time, dude, try mouthwash."

 **Nihil** (shocked): "Was... Wie?!?

(Segment 3. The Gewittegarden go first, not that it will matter much when they're OCV 5 with their energy carbines and Starforce is DCV 12. Before you complain, I actually WASN'T lazy and rolled all five attack attempts. They missed)

 **Starforce** (autofire blaster bolts flying all around him): "Ted? It's getting a little windy out here..."

(to add insult to injury, the UNTIL squad pulls their holdout pistols out and adds to the mayhem of energy bolts around Starforce)

 **Starforce** : "SERIOUSLY?!?"

 **Ladyhawk** (to Ted): "NOW?"

 **Ranger** (sighting his blaster): "Now."

(Ted fires first and knocks his Gewittegard down for 2 BODY)

(Julie hits hers for 2 BODY and 6 STUN)

(Union Jack hits his for 2 BODY and 2 STUN)

(Mr. Harmon hits his for 2 BODY and 10 STUN)

(Segment 4. Ranger holds his phase to coordinate blaster fire, so Starforce goes first)

 **Starforce** (forcebeams warming up for discharge): "Stop goldbricking, Nihil, I need you over..."

(he hits with 120 STR TK and, whirling Nihil's body over his head, slams him down 5 meters in front of Dr. Renton's recall trigger for 2 more BODY and 23 more STUN)

 **Starforce** (continuing): "...HERE!!"

 **Amazing Man** (pressing the activation button on the recall trigger): "Ah, finally."

(a bluish-pink swirl begins to form around Baron Nihil)

(DEX 29. Baron Nihil looks up and feels what the energies in the device Dr. Renton is aiming at him are about to do. He opens his mouth)

(Julie's Danger Sense screams. Dropping her blaster rifle, she performs a diving tackle on Dr. Renton a split-second before Nihil annihilates the recall trigger, mount and all)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Dr. Renton): "Are you okay, Doctor?"

 **Amazing Man** : "Yes, quite." (beat) "This isn't the first time somebody's knocked me out of the way of imminent death."

 **Ladyhawk** : "I know the feeling."

(as Nihil half-move teleports away from the Front Lobby, Starforce flash-steps in to interpose himself between Nihil and the Lobby party)

 **Starforce** (looking at the metallic powder which is all that is left of the recall trigger): "Aw, CRAP! We were *so* close..."

 **Union Jack** (leaping over the Reception Kiosk): "Leftenant Hawkins! Repair the transmitter!! I will keep the Colonel busy!"

(landing on his feet, Union Jack hits [!] Nihil with his blaster for 2 more BODY. Nihil screams in rage)

(exploiting the momentary distraction, Julie and Dr. Renton run behind Starforce to the safety of the Reception Kiosk)

 **Starforce** (looking at the metallic powder heap again): "Like either me or Dr. Renton could fix THAT..."

 **Amazing Man** : "We may not have to, Dr. Hawkins. Can your battlesuit generate RF carrier waves up to 1.21 gigahertz?"

 **Starforce** : "Yeah, easy-peasy..."

 **Amazing Man** : "Good. Now, are you equipped to sense theta-bosons?"

 **Starforce** : "Not directly, but there's a distinct gamma signature and electrogravitic dist..."

 **Amazing Man** (interrupting): "Yes, I know, I refereed one of your first papers on the subject in the late 1980's. Now here's what you need to do..."

* * *

(in front of the ProStar Building. One second later)

(Baron Nihil and Union Jack resume a personal war begun over half a century previously)

 **Nihil** : "My DEAR Union Jack! What an unpleasant surprise!"

 **Union Jack** : "Likewise, Colonel von Niehl."

 **Nihil** : "A shame my powers are so much greater than they were when we last met!"

(more sickly purplish energies stream from his mouth, narrowly missing Union Jack and gouging an ugly crater across a nearby jogging path)

 **Nihil** : "GEWITTEGARDEN! PROTECT YOUR LIEGE!!"

(the Storm Knights, bloodied but still obedient, close ranks in front of Nihil to protect him from Union Jack. Their shields and energy sabres are at the ready)

 **Ladyhawk** (looking in sheer disbelief over the open sights of her blaster at the Gewittegarden now dense-packed in front of her): "You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!"

 **Ranger** : "Target in front of Union Jack and FIRE!!"

(Ted, Julie, and Mr. Harmon all hit the space between Union Jack and the Gewittegarden. The cones of damage interlock and hit all five Storm Knights for 6 BODY and 30 STUN. They all drop, CON-stunned and mortally wounded)

 **Union Jack** (unhurt): "Nicely aimed, General Jameson!"

(he liberates a shield from the closest Gewittegard and advances on Nihil)

 **Union Jack** (to Nihil): "Now then, Colonel, shall we have a go at this again?"

* * *

(Front Lobby, ProStar Building. One second later)

(Julie's Danger Sense goes off again, this time for something about to happen to Starforce)

 **Ladyhawk** (looking at Rochemont): "Aw, CRAP!!"

(Rochemont is seeing Starforce standing by the Reception Kiosk, motionless. All that separates him from the object of his lifelong obsession is twelve meters of landscaping and broken glass)

 **Rochemont** (charging the Front Lobby): "WITH ME, AGENTS! THE SON OF ZERSTOITEN IS OURS!!"

(vaulting over the Reception Kiosk with her blaster rifle, Julie lands between Rochemont and Starforce. Rochemont and the UNTIL squad skid to a stop in front of Julie. Beat, then Rochemont levels his pistol at Julie)

 **Rochemont** (snarling, releasing the safety on his blaster pistol): "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"

 **Ladyhawk** (releasing the safety on the superheavy blaster and aiming at Rochemont): "Mine's bigger. Your call."

(the standoff is punctuated by the Dolbyesque whine of Julie's blaster building up for discharge)

 **Ladyhawk** (coldly): "Listen to me VERY carefully, Captain Rochemont, because there are only four ways this can possibly end. You can pull your trigger and die screaming horribly by my husband's hand. You can order your agents to pull their triggers and THEY will die screaming horribly by my husband's hand. I can pull MY trigger and you will die screaming horribly by *my* hand. Or, you and your agents can safe your pistols, put them away, and live to harass my husband and I another day."

(tense pause, held gaze)

 **Ladyhawk** : "Choose quickly. I'm starting to *really* like scenario 3, myself."

(beat, then there are multiple clicks from behind Rochemont as his agents pop the power cells from their pistols, rack their actions, and set them down)

 **Rochemont** (to his agents, in growing disbelief and fury): "I'll HAVE YOUR HEADS for your cowardice..."

(there is a sudden gust of wind around him. Rochemont tries to point his blaster pistol at his own agents, but his hand suddenly seems to be empty)

 **Ranger** (holding Rochemont's blaster): "Missing something, *Captain*?"

(Ted pops the power cell, racks the action, and drops the pistol by his feet)

 **Ranger** (to both Rochemont and the UNTIL squad): "I suggest we *all* sit back, watch the Feature Attraction out front, and let Dr.'s Renton and Hawkins work on returning Baron Nihil to the hell-hole that spawned him."

* * *

(in front of the ProStar Building. Simultaneous with previous scene)

(Baron Nihil versus Union Jack, round 2)

 **Union Jack** (leaping over the wounded Gewittegarden): "So typical, Colonel. Hiding behind your soldiers to avoid your fate."

 **Nihil** (throwing a punch): "My Gewittegarden would die for me, Union Jack! I am their liege!"

 **Union Jack** (blocking Nihil's punch with his borrowed shield): "You're nothing but a fraud now, Colonel. You -- and your philosophies -- are anachronisms in this world!"

 **Nihil** : "I DON'T CARE!!"

(Nihil misses with his Violent Wind blast)

 **Nihil** : "You DEFEND American culture and society now that you've seen what happens after half a century of its influence? Its decadence is a harbinger of its ultimate doom!"

(Union Jack hits with a shield-bash for 15 STUN)

 **Union Jack** : "I would take American culture over Nazi culture in a heartbeat, Colonel."

 **Nihil** : "Which is why you will share the fate of these untermenschen!"

(he half-move teleports behind Union Jack and hits with a sucker-punch to the lower back for 19 STUN)

 **Nihil** : "Once I purge the world of the mongrelized culture that is America, EVERYONE will see the superiority of National Socialism!"

(Union Jack misses with another shield-bash)

 **Union Jack** : "National Socialism is not superior. It is evil, and the whole world knows it!"

(Nihil hits Union Jack's borrowed shield with a punch supplemented with Nihil-wind telekinesis. The shield cracks, and Union Jack's left arm goes numb from the shock of the impact)

 **Nihil** : "National Socialism is beyond your puerile definitions of good and evil!"

(Nihil hits Union Jack's borrowed shield again. It shatters)

 **Nihil** (continuing): "It will RISE again! A new Fourth Reich, arising like a phoenix from the ashes of the Third Reich's Gotterdammerung to lead the world into a glorious thousand years unlike any before winessed in its history!"

(Union Jack misses with an Offensive Strike. Nihil hits with his Violent Wind blast for 37 STUN, CON-stunning Union Jack. He flies backward 7 meters and takes 9 more STUN on landing)

(Recovering from being stunned, Union Jack struggles to get up. Nihil half-move teleports over next to him to administer the coup-de-grace)

 **Nihil** (building to discharge): "Farewell, Major Stephens. The Fourth Reich will tolerate no further delays in its founding."

* * *

(Front Lobby, ProStar Building. Simultaneous with end of previous scene)

(Starforce stands next to the Reception Kiosk, his right hand resting on it and his left hand stretched out toward Baron Nihil. Dr. Renton is now behind the Kiosk with the others)

 **Starforce** : "Hang on... Yes, THAT'S IT! I've got the frequency!!"

 **Amazing Man** : "That frequency, Dr. Hawkins! FULL POWER!!"

(Starforce's forcefield glows in unfamiliar patterns as he does what Dr. Renton says)

 **Starforce** (singsong): "Oh, Baron NIII-HILLL! Time for beddy-bye!!"

* * *

(in front of the ProStar Building. Simultaneous with end of previous scene)

(a bluish-pink swirl suddenly appears around Baron Nihil)

 **Nihil** (panicked): "What? No! NOT NOW!!"

(as Nihil struggles against the pull of his own portal, Union Jack grabs a Gewittegard blaster carbine on the ground next to him)

 **Union Jack** (aiming at Nihil): "It seems that your time is up, Colonel."

(he empties the carbine's clip into Baron Nihil. Screaming, Nihil is swallowed by the distortion and vanishes along with it)

* * *

(Front Lobby, ProStar. One second later)

(Ted, Julie, and Mr. Harmon stand up from behind the Reception Kiosk. Just outside what used to be ProStar's front entrance, five Gewittegarden lay wounded and bleeding. Ted runs outside and signals toward the PRIMUS siege line, which breaks their positions and jogs toward him)

 **Macklin** (saluting): "Sir?"

 **Ranger** (indicating the Gewittegarden): "Secure the prisoners and their equipment."

 **Macklin** : "Yes, sir!"

(she runs off, shouting orders to the PRIMUS squad)

 **Ranger** (to Dr. Renton and Starforce): "So is Nihil gone?"

 **Amazing Man** : "For now."

 **Ranger** : "How were you two able to banish him when he destroyed the recall trigger?"

 **Amazing Man** : "Using Dr. Hawkins as a replacement recall trigger was always my plan B."

 **Ranger** : "You guys took your time..."

 **Starforce** : "I was literally doing stuff manually with my battlesuit that Dr. Renton's original equipment was doing automatically far better from scratch. Cut us some slack, here, Ted!"

(there is a commotion among the UNTIL agents to their left. Captain Rochemont strides toward Ted and Starforce)

 **Ranger** : "What the hell?"

 **Starforce** (to Ted): "Welcome to my world."

(Rochemont stops and stares implacably at them)

 **Rochemont** (to Ted): "UNTIL would like its property back."

 **Starforce** (picking up one of the rifles with TK): "You mean, these?"

 **Rochemont** (through clenched teeth): "Yes."

 **Starforce** (twirling the blaster in front of him): "Did you know that a VIPER fire-team equipped with something very similar almost killed me nine years ago?" /* 'Escalation' */

 **Rochemont** : "A pity they didn't succeed."

 **Starforce** : "Yes, I believe we already established that as one of your personal beliefs in Federal Court last year." (beat, cheerfully demented) "That reminds me. How did your perjury trial go?" /* 'United States v. Hawkins' */

 **Rochemont** (angry): "Blasters. NOW."

(Starforce looks at Ted)

 **Ranger** : "Dr. Hawkins? Could you kindly return UNTIL's property to the Captain?"

 **Starforce** (to Ted): "ME?!? YOU were the one who..."

(Ted glares at Starforce)

 **Starforce** : "All right! Geez..."

(Using his TK, Starforce collects all of UNTIL's blaster rifles. Once he has them all together, they drift toward Rochemont and the UNTIL squad with their barrels pointed toward the ground. Just as they reach Rochemont, every rifle suddenly cracks open and sprays parts on the ground in front of him)

 **Starforce** (casually): "Oops."

(a muscle quivers in Ted's jaw, almost like he was about to break out laughing)

 **Rochemont** (angry): "You will PAY for that, Son of Zerstoiten!"

 **Starforce** : "You asked us for your blasters back. I returned them. What do you WANT?"

 **Harmon** (taking a $20 bill out of his wallet, murmured to Julie): "He won't."

 **Ladyhawk** (putting a $20 of her own on Mr. Harmon's, murmuring): "He will."

 **Rochemont** : "YOU BROKE THEM!!"

 **Starforce** : "Neither you NOR General Jameson ever *specified* that they were to be returned to you INTACT." (beat) "Would you like me to replay the last half-minute of our confrontation for you so you can verify that to your satisfaction?"

(screaming Rochemont throws himself at Starforce. Starforce casually waves a hand, and Rochemont is catapulted 25 meters into the lake. His splashdown is both spectacular and graceless)

 **Starforce** (to Rochemont as he surfaces): "I'll take that as a 'no?'"

(as Rochemont slowly swims to a point where he can wade to the shoreline, Starforce now eyes the rest of the UNTIL squad)

 **Starforce** (menacing): "NEXT?"

(10d6 Presence Attack does PRE+20 on the agents. They scatter)

* * *

**EPILOGUE** : Stately Dormyer Manor Mark II, Lakewood Village, TX. That evening.

(Bob and Julie are entertaining Ted, Union Jack, James Harmon III, and Amazing Man out on the veranda overlooking Lake Lewisville. Bob is holding Nathan, who is staring wide-eyed at the guests)

 **Ranger** (looking back into the manor): "You've changed the floor plan somewhat behind the Great Room from what it used to be."

 **Ladyhawk** : "The old manor had an entire unused basement level. Bob, Shina, and I remedied that on the redesign."

 **Ranger** : "I also saw you moved the pool to where Shina's apartment used to be."

 **Ladyhawk** : "Shina never liked the design of the old staff apartment, and I liked the idea of a full veranda off of the Great Room looking out over the lake." (beat, sneaking a rib tip off of the foil pan on the grill's warmer rack) "There's a LOT more room to entertain outside, now."

 **Ranger** (looking toward the pool deck): "Still looks odd, exposed and sticking out like that below us."

 **Ladyhawk** : "If I can ever get Nerd-boy to stop designing his Man Cave below the basement level, he's promised me a retractable roof over the pool deck."

 **Ranger** : "That ought to be nice when he gets to it."

(Bob strolls over, gently boucing Nathan in his arms)

 **Starforce** (smiling): "What have I done wrong this time?"

 **Ranger** : "Julie was telling me about what you're supposed to be adding to the pool deck."

 **Starforce** : "Oh." (beat) "Well, I have been busy with the mansion rebuild and helping with Nathan after the trial."

(the others have turned around and are all congregating together)

 **Amazing Man** : "Is it true you rebuilt the house with that long-chain nanocomposite you invented?"

 **Starforce** : "Yes. We literally had to build production plants for bulk Destreum synthesis before we could start the rebuild here."

 **Harmon** : "Helluva gamble, there. Destreum isn't cheap, and if ProStar doesn't get any customers willing to pay for it your bottom line's just taken a huge hit."

 **Ladyhawk** : "We've got follow-on customers. Drake-Victoria helped finance the plant on the understanding that once the manor was done it would start cranking out frames for their VTOL line." (beat, sneaks another beef tip from the grill's warmer rack when Shina isn't looking) "And we just signed a contract with Electric Boat last week to build the hulls for the Navy's new _Virginia_ -class submarines."

 **Harmon** (impressed): "Hm!" (beat, speculative) "Can you and your husband speak with me after the party?"

 **Ladyhawk** : "You have another customer in mind?"

 **Harmon** (smiling): "Yeah!"

 **Union Jack** (to Ranger): "So this is how business is done in America, then?"

 **Ranger** : "Pretty much. Hammer out the basics at a party or on a golf course, then let the lawyers waste a couple of months hanging words and conditions on it."

 **Ladyhawk** : "I've never learned golf, so parties it is!"

(the guests laugh)

 **Amazing Man** : "Why did your manor have to get rebuilt?"

 **Starforce** : "VIPER attacked after Julie and I got married. Everything beyond the garage was destroyed or had to be razed."

 **Amazing Man** : "Ah. That explains the rebuild with Destreum, then."

(something occurs to Bob)

 **Starforce** (looking at Ted): "It might explain something else, too."

(Ted notices the attention)

 **Ranger** : "What?"

 **Starforce** : "It just occurred to me that there was a reason you wanted this reunion to start at ProStar and not here."

 **Ranger** : "I didn't think you wanted to fight a battle at the Manor two months after the two of you got done rebuilding it."

 **Union Jack** : "So you knew that there would be a battle?"

 **Ranger** : "We knew that there was a threat against Bob... Dr. Hawkins. We didn't know exactly WHO it was or what form it would take, but I didn't think the Hawkins' would appreciate having to rebuild their house again."

 **Ladyhawk** (quickly kissing Ted on a cheek): "Thank you!"

 **Union Jack** : "So, publicize where the meeting was and then have troops waiting in ambush for whomever was going to attack?"

 **Ranger** : "That was the plan." (beat, darkly) "Except UNTIL was supposed to help *us* instead of Baron Nihil."

 **Union Jack** : "Sad to see that some things still remain a constant in the future."

 **Harmon** : "Unfortunately, true."

(awkward pause)

 **Ladyhawk** (to Union Jack): "So what are your plans after you get back home?"

(Union Jack thinks for a moment)

 **Union Jack** : "Based on what I experienced today, there would still appear to be a need for heroes in your era."

 **Amazing Man** (taking a draw on his pipe): "There has always been a need for heroes in any era."

 **Union Jack** : "True, Private Renton."

(he turns to contemplate the lights beginning to come on across Lake Lewisville as twilight falls)

 **Union Jack** (continuing): "But at least as long as there are those of us willing to answer the call of duty, that need will never remain unanswered."

 **Ranger** (raising his drink in a toast): "Hear, hear."

(the others join Ted's toast)

* * *

(fin)


End file.
